- Date
- July 8, 2017, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Ashby, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N796SRProgressive Aerodyne Searey LSA
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20170708009029A
- Case key
- 95532
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's incorrect configuration of the landing gear for a water landing in an amphibious airplane, which resulted in a nose-over.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the special light sport, amphibious airplane stated that he had planned a local personal sightseeing flight, which included departing from an airport, landing on a lake about 20 miles away, then returning to the departure airport. During the approach to landing on the lake, the pilot left the landing gear in the extended position, which was the wrong position for a water landing. Once the airplane touched down on water, it decelerated quickly, nosed over, and then came to rest inverted. The pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. When the airplane was recovered from the lake, damage was observed on both wings and the fuselage. The landing gear were observed in the extended position, and the landing gear selector was also in the landing gear extended position.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the special light sport amphibian airplane stated that he had planned a local personal sightseeing flight, which included departing from an airport, landing on a lake about 20 miles away, then returning to the departure airport. During the approach to landing on the lake, the pilot left the landing gear in the extended position, which was the wrong position for a water landing. Once the airplane touched down on water, it decelerated quickly, nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. When the airplane was recovered from the lake, substantial damage was observed on both wings and the fuselage. The landing gear was observed in the extended position and the landing gear selector was also in the landing gear extended position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N796SR
- Reported as
- Progressive Aerodyne Searey LSA (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1060
- Built
- 2016
- Airframe hours
- 20
- Engine
- Rotax 914UL, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Departed
- 7FL6 · Port Orange, FL
- Destination
- Lake Ashby, FL
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Angle of attack indicator, Electronic multifunction display
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 15, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,900 total · 10 in this make and model · 1,700 as pilot in command · 46 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- SFB, 13 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 17, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.